Tom Harris: More on Maples

We got an email from Dr. Ridlon Kiphart, the past president of the Boerne Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas after the blurb about the big tooth maple trees a couple weeks ago. The NPSOT has started a movement to get more maples planted in the Boerne area. What a great idea! If you’d like to see a picture of one of these maples in its full glory, visit their Web site and click on the section that says “Bigtooth Maples for Boerne Texas.” There’s a great picture there and all the information you’ll need to see about getting your own tree.

Congratulations on a great idea, NPSOT. Sure hope it works out for ya. It’d be great to see those fall colors all over Boerne. I had to drive all the way to Maine to see them last year.

Since the Big Tooth is related to sugar maples, I wonder if we’ll see a maple syrup business spring up in my lifetime … shipping it to Boerne from Maine gets kinda expensive. Ya know?

Mulch

Coming home from church last Sunday, I noticed that lots of folks are getting new mulch and putting it around their trees. One word of caution about that; be sure to leave an empty space around the base of the tree  about 4-6 inches between the tree trunk and the mulch. Putting mulch up against the base of the tree has the same effect as planting a tree too deep. Eventually, it’ll have some serious effects on the tree and could actually kill it. Please go out and pull the mulch away from the trunk.

By the way, I was told the other day by a very knowledgeable source that that so-called mulch or compost pile fire over by Helotes isn’t a mulch pile at all. The guy who owns it supposedly said that he never called it a mulch pile or a compost pile … the media named it that because they probably don’t know the difference. It’s actually a trash pile with railroad ties, trees, etc., in it and, my source indicated, the fire looks like it was intentionally set. Inquiring minds wanna know.

Getting ready for spring gardening

Because gardening is about to get into full swing in a few weeks, you’d better be ready to hit the ground running because all those things you didn’t do during the fall and winter are gonna come back to haunt ya.

Now don’t go out and fertilize the yard yet or anything dumb like that. It’s not THAT time yet.

I meant that you need to be sure of things like your compost pile has turned into something that you can start using, the weeds are pulled out of all the beds, you changed the oil in the lawnmower and sharpened the blade, got the rust off the pruning shears and sharpened them, and that you’ve done all the pruning you intended to do.

Remember that fruit trees are not pruned just for looks, but for better fruit production and easier picking.

Remember, too, that pruning regulates tree height and stimulates new growth for next year’s crop (fruit forms on last year’s new growth).

Roses

Now is the time to start thinking about Valentine’s Day, too. Remember what we’re supposed to do on or about February 14, don’t ya? That’s right. Prune the roses and feed them. Cut them back by about 1/3 to 1/2 to encourage new growth. Remove all the old, dead canes first by cutting them off at ground level. Keep several healthy canes; the older the plant, the more canes you should leave. Make clean, sharp cuts just above buds which point outward. Postpone pruning of climbing roses until after their first flush of bloom. Feed the roses with your favorite rose food. If you don’t know what that is or how to do it, ask at the nursery. They know.

If you don’t have any roses, this is the time to plant them. Check out the selection at your favorite nursery. Even if you only have room for one rose bush, you really oughta have one. If nothing else, just have one for the fragrance that will remind you of the simple things in life. Be sure to look for the old-fashioned roses if you’re gonna be buying one. They are typically much more resistant to bug and disease problems PLUS, they’re the ones with the fragrance. TADA! Win-win.